SYNDICATES USING FILIPINOS AS DRUG COURIERS

The Philippine Consulate General on Saipan yesterday issued an advisory
from the Department of Foreign Affairs warning the country's overseas
contract workers to be wary of syndicates employing unsuspecting Filipinas
to serve as drug couriers.

In the advisory, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo
warned all overseas foreign workers, or OFWs, to be cautious of
unscrupulous people offering big money in exchange for acting as a drug
courier.

This advisory came after two Filipinas were arrested only days apart at the
Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, for possession and
attempting to smuggle cocaine.

Secretary Romulo said, "We cannot allow our nationals to be victimized by
these criminal drug syndicates." The Department of Foreign Affairs will
work closely with the law enforcement agencies in the Philippines and in
other countries in combating this modus operandi that targets the
vulnerability of the Filipina."

Meanwhile, Romulo has instructed Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant
Workers Affairs Jose Brillantes "to place a high priority on this matter."

The criminals' modus operandi to deceive prospective drug couriers was
described as follows:

- -Jobs are usually offered to Filipino women to work in an Asian capital,
although only tourist visas are issued to the applicants;

- -Once abroad, the Filipino is ordered to stay in a hotel for a number of
days and is only given phone numbers of contact persons in the country
where the Filipino is staying;

- -After sometime, a foreign national will meet the Filipino at her hotel. It
is at this time that the Filipino is informed that she is to deliver
something to some South American destination;

- -The Filipino will be given plane tickets, usually roundtrip, from the
Asian capital to a Latin American country via Europe and back, as well as
some "payment for services";

- -While in the Latin American country, another foreign national will meet
the Filipino at a predetermined hotel to get her luggage and will
eventually return the same luggage to her, but this time containing illegal
drugs, i.e. cocaine, concealed among the packed belongings from her return
trip to Asia;

- -In case of arrest, the duped Filipino victims are sentenced to long-term
imprisonment, or death, depending on the amount of illegal drugs found in
her possession and the place of the arrest.

The Philippine Consulate General on Saipan, CNMI, reiterates the Philippine
government's advisory for Filipinos to be vigilant and encourages all to
report to the Consulate General at telephone numbers 234-1848 or
234-1850/51 any information on individuals attempting to recruit Filipinos
for drug-related activities.